Cisco DPA Integration

This chapter provides information about the Cisco DPA 7630 and
7610 Voice Mail Gateways (DPA 7630/7610) which enable you to integrate
Cisco Unified Communications Manager systems with Octel voice-messaging systems,
which might also connect to either Definity or Meridian 1 PBX systems. This
integration enables you to use your existing third-party telephony systems
along with your Cisco IP telephony system.

For example, you can ensure that features such as
message-waiting indicators (MWI) for Octel voice messages are properly set on
Cisco Unified IP Phones (connected to
Cisco Unified Communications Manager) and traditional telephony phones (connected
to Definity or Meridian 1 PBX systems).

DPA 7630/7610 Overview

With the Cisco DPA 7630/7610, you can integrate your existing
Octel voice-messaging system with
Cisco Unified Communications Manager and either a Definity PBX system or a Meridian
1 PBX system. If you have a Definity PBX, use the DPA 7630; if you have a
Meridian 1 system, use the DPA 7610.

The DPA 7630/7610 functions by emulating digital phone or PBX
systems. This capability allows it to appear like these devices to
Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Octel, Definity, and Meridian 1 systems.

When to Use the DPA 7630/7610

If you want to migrate your telephony system from a Definity G3 PBX or a Meridian 1 PBX to Cisco Unified Communications Manager, you must decide whether to do a complete cutover to Cisco Unified Communications Manager or to migrate slowly. If you do a complete cutover to Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco voice-messaging solution, you do not need the DPA 7630/7610. However, if you are slowly migrating your systems, you might want to maintain some phones on the Definity or Meridian 1 PBX while you are installing new phones on the Cisco Unified Communications Manager system. You might want to use your existing Octel voice-messaging system with your Cisco Unified Communications Manager system. In these cases, the DPA 7630/7610 can assist your migration to Cisco Unified Communications Manager.

When to Use SMDI

Because voice-messaging systems such as Octel were designed to integrate to only one PBX at a time, difficulty occurs with migration. To resolve this difficulty, many people use Simplified Message Desk Interface (SMDI), which was designed to enable integrated voice-messaging services to multiple clients.

To use SMDI, you must ensure that your voice-messaging system meets several qualifications:

It must have sufficient database capacity to support two PBX systems simultaneously and to associate each mailbox with the correct PBX to send MWI information on the correct link.

You must have the ability to physically connect the IP network to the voice-messaging system while maintaining the existing physical link to the PBX.

It must support analog integration. SMDI primarily acts as an analog technology.

When Not to Use SMDI

Be aware that SMDI might not be an option for you, particularly if you are using a digital interface on your Octel systems. Octel systems with digital line cards emulate digital phones and appear to the PBX as digital extensions, referred to as per-port or PBX integration cards (PIC). On PIC systems, the voice and data streams (for setting MWI) use the same path. The system sets and clears the MWIs via feature access codes on dedicated ports. Because these PIC ports use proprietary interfaces, you cannot use standard interfaces to connect them to the Cisco Unified Communications Manager system.

The DPA 7630/7610 can, however, translate these interfaces to enable communication among the Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Octel, and Definity or Meridian 1 systems. Depending on the needs of your network, you can choose among several different integration methods.